State investigators: Former Roosevelt girls' basketball coach had sexual contact with student

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners says its investigation shows former Des Moines high school teacher Gerald "Tig" Johnson had sexual contact with a student in 2015. Johnson was arrested after the allegations of sexual abuse surfaced in 2015, but the criminal charges were dismissed six months later.
Charly Haley/The Register

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Gerald "Tig" Johnson speaks to reporters Tuesday, May 24, 2016, following the announcement that the charges filed against him in a sex abuse case had been dismissed.(Photo: Charly Haley / The Register)Buy Photo

A former Des Moines Roosevelt High School teacher and girls' basketball coach had sexual contact with a student in 2015, according to a state board's investigation of an incident that had appeared resolved when criminal charges against the teacher were dismissed.

Though the criminal charges against Johnson were dismissed, the student's allegations remained under investigation by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, which oversees teachers' licenses.

That investigation concluded that Johnson, a special-education teacher, "engaged in sexual contact with a student at Roosevelt High School at school, during the school day," according to a notice of hearing issued by the board July 18.

A hearing for Johnson has been scheduled for Oct. 10 before an administrative law judge. Based on the judge's decision, the board may impose sanctions as serious as revoking Johnson's teaching license.

Johnson can resolve this matter before the hearing by surrendering his teaching license or by reaching an agreement with the board for a lesser sanction, according to the board's notice.

An attorney listed for Johnson did not respond to a reporter's phone calls seeking comment Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. An attorney who represented Johnson in the criminal case also could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.

The Board of Educational Examiners' notice did not explain what information investigators relied on to conclude that Johnson had sexual contact with a student. Darcy Hathaway, an attorney and investigator with the board, explained that the investigative information is confidential under state law.

Court records detailing the criminal charges against Johnson alleged that he pulled a 16-year-old girl out of her class on Dec. 3, 2015, telling her teacher that he would return her shortly. Prosecutors alleged that Johnson then took the teen to his own classroom for more than an hour, where he kissed her and made sexual advances by touching her over her clothing. The girl was a student of Johnson's during the 2014-15 school year.

Johnson has denied the allegations.

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Former Roosevelt High School girls' basketball coach Gerald "Tig" Johnson was accused of touching and kissing a 16-year-old former student in December 2015. He was arrested, but the criminal charges were dismissed in May 2016.(Photo: Photo: Lee Navin/For the Register)

The charges were dismissed in May 2016, after a judge ruled that witnesses could not testify about a surveillance video that reportedly showed the girl and Johnson entering and leaving classrooms.

The video became corrupted after police requested that it be downloaded from the school's camera system. The judge ruled that having witnesses testify about the video's contents without being able to show the video would be unfair to Johnson.

After the ruling, prosecutors said they believed they could not prove Johnson's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in the charges being dismissed.

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Gerald "Tig" Johnson talks to reporters the day a sex abuse case against him was dismissed.
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At a subsequent news conference, Johnson maintained his innocence. And in July 2016, Johnson sued Des Moines police and Des Moines Public Schools for allegedly mishandling the investigation that led to his arrest. The lawsuit states the accusations were falsely made by a student struggling with depression, family strife and a poor school attendance record.

That lawsuit was moved to federal court. On June 16 this year, a judge ruled in favor of the police department and school district, records show. Johnson has since appealed this decision, and the appeal is pending.

Johnson was a well-known girls' basketball coach in the Des Moines area, and he led the Roosevelt team to a state championship win in 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2007.

Johnson resigned from Des Moines Public Schools earlier this year, the school district said.